15 M Time Management Nationals

"CH" wrote in message ...

No surprise that the pilots get tired of these tasks Kirk,
the scoring rules created for the AST and PST speed tasks with variable
distance are just a pain and I wonder who is responsible for them.
(see FAI SC S3 / ANNEX A). I studied these rules and it is quite a
challenge to understand how rules and scoring formulas work.
Time limits in general are just a hassle and create headache for the pilot
trying to figure out how he could optimize his flight.

(snip lots of good stuff)

Chris, I agree with you completely. I was being a bit sarcastic in my
post...

Over here in the colonies our rules makers have gone totally ga-ga,
making a lot of PC changes to the rules so everybody feels good and
flies safe, blah blah. Somehow the concept of "racing" seems to have
been lost.

To confuse matters even more, over here in the US an AST is what you
call an ST, except we use huge 1 mile radius turn areas, so distance
is scored on actual distance flown - nobody flies the same distance.
And our TAT is what the FAI calls an AST (but called an AAT at the
worlds?). Plus we score in Mph and statute miles, but usually fly in
Knots, and of course records are in Kilometers.

Meanwhile, our "Sports Class" is stuck with nothing but PST (pilot
selected tasks), which is basically a bunch of guys going cross
country on the same day. Fun, but hardly a race, IMHO, and poor
preparation for "the real thing". But it sure makes it easier for the
Contest Director/Task caller!

And we better not get started on 15 minute scoring adjustments, 500 ft
min finish at 1 mile, etc...

Out west a lot of us absolutely HATE the new rules. I guess back east
they are more popular. Must be something in the water.

ARRRGH!

Thank god we just had a great (if REALLY HOT) weekend out here in
Phoenix. Saturday our local racing gang flew a 500+k TAT at over
86mph, and Sunday a 500+k AST (to the Grand Canyon and back) at over
88mph.

Kirk